Chapter Summary: Three years since Varian and Cassandra have joined them, and things are about to take another turn for this crew.

Three Years Later

"Oh, my goodness – he's flirting with her!" Cassandra said, looking across the Snugly Duckling with a glare. Rapunzel followed her line of sight, taking a sip of her drink, and failed to suppress a smile at the sight Cassandra was currently upset about.

He – being Varian – was indeed flirting with a girl, or at least trying to. He was standing awkwardly by where a young girl his age with dark brown hair was talking, her smile turned up as she watched him. This was no surprise – this was Juliet, the girl Varian had been trying to impress since they arrived in Corona again two years ago.

"Good for him," Rapunzel said. Cassandra grumbled and took a large swig from her own drink.

"He's fifteen, Raps," Cassandra said, voice low with slight annoyance. "He's not supposed to be flirting with girls!"

Rapunzel chuckled softly. Cassandra was over-protective of Varian to ridiculous degree, treating him more akin to a small child than the young teenager he was. Varian was always quick to point out that he is not a young child, which always fell onto deaf ears in regard to his unofficial guardian.

"That's exactly what he's supposed to do," Rapunzel said. Cassandra didn't answer, continuing to glare daggers at the laughing form of Juliet.

Rapunzel frowned.

"Cass – he's the odd man out," Rapunzel said. Varian was the only one of them not in a relationship – or an implied relationship that is. Eugene (or Flynn, as everyone else had to call him) had two years ago finally confessed to her that he loved her, which had quickly been met with joy on her part. Cassandra and Lance as well had quickly established themselves as a duo, regardless of how much they tried to deny it.

And as wonderful as that was, it also left the younger Varian on the outside of that. Rapunzel didn't blame him for crushing on a girl his age. He could have picked someone much worse than a petty thief. At least it was someone that wouldn't scream and alert guards when he tried to impress her.

Cassandra pursed her lips.

"Still too young," Cassandra decided.

Rapunzel sighed but let the issue drop, casting one last look in Varian and Juliet's direction. Varian was laughing now too, and she could see Juliet looking up at him now, a light blush dusting her face. Rapunzel smiled, it seemed that Juliet liked him as well.

"If we can move on from your little brother flirting," Rapunzel said, drawing Cassandra's attention. "When do you think another job will pop up? It's been a few weeks since our last one."

Cassandra, finally turning her eyes away from Varian, gave a shrug and leaned back in her chair.

"That boyfriend of yours said he was working on something big," Cassandra said. She smiled slyly. "But I won't put too much stock in that, remember the last time he said we had a big score?"

Rapunzel did indeed remember when Eugene said that a year ago. What Eugene had thought was a shipment of rubies turned out to be a shipment for Ruby Red Punch, which was just a punch of red powder to make drinks with. And while Varian had been fascinated by it, it hadn't really done much to keep them from going completely broke.

It had kept them hydrated though, she would admit.

"Not all of them can be winners, Cass," Rapunzel said.

"Yes, true, but the losers end up with us starving," Cassandra pointed out. Rapunzel looked down at her drink. That was the risk – not every job was a winner, and you never knew which one it was. A series of bad jobs in a row meant complete disaster, and given that they were a family of five, that meant a series of flops meant even more disaster for them.

And given that the last job, a routine heist on a caravan, had gone exceedingly poor due to their would-be-victims being prepared with hired guards, Rapunzel hoped that whatever came next didn't end the same way.

The sixth month period where they had nothing but busts was still a recent memory. It was a far cry from the scene they were in now, with a few coins for the Snugly Duckling and a chance for Varian to flirt with his crush, no, it had been nothing, but gaunt joints and nights spent wishing for just a sliver of bread.

It had only been a few months since then. They weren't exactly eating the best of the best, but at least now they could eat once a day, even if it was small. This circumstance almost made her wish she hadn't said something back in Vardaros, because then she could count on food in her stomach and a place to sleep.

She looked over at her best friend, who was spinning her drink contemplatively and then back over to where Varian was laughing with the girl. She smiled. Almost.

Varian and Cassandra were so much more than her friends – they were her family just as much as Eugene and Lance. Cassandra was her sister in almost ever way, and though Varian was officially considered Cassandra's brother, he was unofficially their brother too. Nothing she could think of was worth trading their addition to her life.

The door to the Snugly Duckling opened, the creaking of the wood heard over the din of the patrons. Rapunzel cast her gaze over to the door and smiled, seeing Eugene and Lance walking towards them.

Eugene raised an eyebrow at them, most likely surprised at their lack of Varian. Rapunzel chuckled and motioned with her head towards where Varian's face was getting redder by the second, which caused Eugene to smile a bare fraction. He branched off to where Varian was, Lance continuing their steadfast path to them.

Lance quickly took a seat next to Cassandra, seated just a little too close to her to be considered platonic. Rapunzel smirked into her cup. Hard to believe that Lance had once upon a time been upset Rapunzel had stepped in for Cassandra's safety.

"I see lover boy decided to make his move," Lance said. Rapunzel and Cassandra both raised a brow at their companion; it was voice was tighter, the lightness he put into forced. That was unlike Lance, who was usually quick with a tease or a joke.

"Lance, what's wrong?" Cassandra said, straight to the point like always. Lance looked uneasy and shook his head, meaning clear.

Not here.

Rapunzel felt her chest clinch of its own accord.

Eugene appeared at the table now, his smile tighter than normal upon closer inspection, which did little to ease the knots growing in her. Varian, however, looked downright giddy, collar still clutched into Eugene's fist.

"She thinks I'm cute…" he was murmuring under his breath, beaming. Cassandra's narrowed eyes at this statement didn't miss Rapunzel's gaze.

"That's great Varian," Eugene said. His words sounded stern and annoyed, but Rapunzel could detect a little pride in Eugene's voice. Not that Rapunzel could blame him – it was exciting to see Varian grow up a little with this crush. "But unless you get the details on this job, soon enough it won't matter what she thinks because you'll be dead."

This sobered the younger boy a little but didn't wipe away all of his smile. It seemed he was still so high off Juliet calling him 'cute' that he hadn't caught onto Lance and Eugene's slight edge.

Rapunzel set down her cup and leaned forward.

"What job did you get, Eugene?" Rapunzel asked. She didn't lower her voice – the Snugly Duckling wasn't exactly known for its stellar clientele. It wasn't uncommon to hear bits and pieces about a job or a hit, if you wanted to hear it or not.

Eugene bit his lip and looked around suspiciously. The knot in her chest tightened again. If Eugene was nervous to discuss it so openly here – amongst thieves – than it was something either really bad or really dangerous. Probably both.

He stepped away from them and motioned for them all to follow him.

"Come on," Eugene said softly. Rapunzel stood fearfully, leaving her drink behind as Cassandra casted a few coins onto the wooden table.

The journey through the Snugly Duckling and towards the door felt ten times longer then it usually did, a tight feeling over all of them as they left. Even Varian by now seemed to have caught onto the mood, his smile now gone as they entered the forest.

Once Eugene had decided that they were far enough in, he suddenly stopped and rounded on them.

"Now do you are to explain what's going on?" Cassandra asked, leaning against a tree casually. Lance shifted uneasily on his feet and took a seat on a nearby log, neither him or Eugene making any motion to answer her question. She huffed, blowing one strand of her dark hair out of her eyes. "I'll take that as a no."

Rapunzel reached forward and put a concerned hand on Eugene's shoulder.

"Eugene?" she said. "What's going on? What exactly is this job?"

Eugene met her eyes and then sighed, removing her grip gently.

"We've been hired by King Frederic."

"We've been what?!" Rapunzel said in unison with Cassandra and Varian. Cassandra perked up from her spot next to the tree, head whipping around to Lance for assurance that Eugene wasn't serious. When the only response was a quite nod of confirmation, Cassandra's eyes widened in confusion and fear.

Rapunzel clutched a fistful of her hair to keep her steady. The king – the king knew about them – he had searched them out – Eugene and Lance had been – they could have been caught – oh –

"Why?" Varian eventually asked, breaking Rapunzel from her thoughts. His eyes were inquisitive, curious, less fear than the four of them. Rapunzel supposed that made sense – Varian had always been the one to see less of the danger in what they were doing. No, that wasn't right. He saw the danger but saw it less as a daunting prospect and more a challenge to figure out how to get past it.

Eugene hesitated and looked to Lance, sharing a glance with his best friend. It was that secret glance that she remembered they gave each other whenever something was too hard to say, even from the first day she had spent with them they had shared that glance. And just like the first days, it put a rotten feeling deep within her.

"Next week is the twentieth anniversary of the Lost Princess of Corona's capture," Eugene said. "The King is worried someone might try to steal his little girl's crown."

"Okay?" Cassandra asked. "And what does this have to do with us?"

Lance gave a ghost of a smile.

"He wants us to steal it first," Lance said.

"He wants us to what?" Rapunzel asked. She hadn't thought it possible that she would be surprised again by this job, especially after learning that the king was the one hiring them. But this – stealing the crown for him, that-that was something she couldn't wrap her head around.

Why? Why would the king want them to steal it? Didn't he want it protected? It didn't make any sense.

"Why?" Varian asked again, vocalizing her thoughts.

"His informants or spies or whatever you want to call it have gotten information that someone wants to steal it that day, like for real steal it," Eugene explained.

"So he wants us to steal it first," Lance continued, "that way he can make sure it's safe."

"Why should he trust us?" Cassandra asked. "Whose to say we won't steal it from him?"

Eugene raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying we should steal it? That's a little out of character for you to suggest that, but okay."

Cassandra growled under her breath and sent a death glare from beneath her bangs.

"You know what I meant," she said. Eugene smirked, and Rapunzel could see the sarcastic retort forming behind his eyes. Rapunzel quickly stepped forward before it could reach his lips, knowing full well the fight that would explode after if it did.

"We all know what you meant Cass," Rapunzel said, laying a hand on Cassandra's shoulder.

Cassandra had made a good point – why was the king trusting them? Of all people? They were the band of thieves to search out? There were many more successful bandits in Corona, let alone the world. They were small-time, barely more than petty thieves that just stole to survive.

Why?

"He said that apparently him and his wife had been watching out exploits for a while," Eugene said. "Said that he was impressed by our quote-unquote 'style'."

Varian got a curious look on his face at this, lips pulled into a thin line. His fingers fiddled with the ends of his tattered blue shirt as his eyebrows smushed together in concentration. Rapunzel knew what this meant, they all did; this was the analytical Varian, the one that calculated the risk, the one that was the voice of reason more often then they would like to admit.

"How much did he agree to pay us?" Varian eventually said, looking at Lance and Eugene with that same expression.

A real smile crossed both of the men faces at this.

"He has agreed to pardon us," Lance said. "For all crimes committed here in Corona."

Rapunzel was sure she saw the eyes pop out of Cassandra's head, and she was also pretty sure the same thing happened to her. Varian, however, seemed less affected at this news, only giving a single nod at the intake of information. His analytical side had probably not yet managed to put together what that meant, or maybe he was just waiting to react until he knew exactly what was going on. Maybe both.

"A full pardon…" Cassandra said, voice sounding wistful. Cassandra's eyes were alit with an excitement that Rapunzel very rarely saw from her – hope. Cassandra was the one who hated this life the most, and they all knew she was looking for a way out. Maybe this could be that for her.

"In addition to200 pieces of gold," Eugene tacked on, and Rapunzel felt her heart squeeze. That was enough for all of them to start over here in Corona – start business in one of the villages, or maybe purchase a farm where the five of them could live alone.

Rapunzel felt hope begin to infect her as well. This could be a way out.

None of them wanted to be here, every single one of them was forced into a life of crime because of something. Poverty, loneliness, hunger, all of it. Though she hated her time with Mother, Rapunzel ached for the security of the tower, where she didn't have to worry about hunger or the weather or anything. She had thought maybe that Vardaros would be that, but that had been ruined by the Baron and Stalayn and the hateful people that lived there.

This was a way out – a real way out. They could actually be normal for once. Just the five of them, living like normal people did. Her heart wanted it so bad, she could almost see the vision in her head.

They could get a farm out by where the wall of Corona was, it was secluded there, a great place to begin again. The five of them could tend the farm, be self-sustained so that no one could ever guess who they were and where they came from. Maybe once some time passed, Varian could actually go to school, not glean what he can from books he found in the trunks of marks or things he heard in passing.

They could be an actual family.

"What's the catch?" Varian said, voice breaking through her daydream.

Eugene blinked. "The catch?"

Varian rolled his eyes and leaned back on a large rock to sit.

"Whenever a king is involved, a catch isn't far behind," Varian said. His teeth weren't clenched, but they weren't far off. Cassandra gave a sigh, something echoed internally by the others. Varian's life in Lunara was marked by a hatred of the king that had once ruled there, Edmund. Despite the years, he had yet to reveal to them the full story of his life in Lunara, only that Edmund had cost him something, which Rapunzel surmised was his family.

Only Cassandra knew the whole story, and she wasn't one to talk about her own past, let alone Varian's. So, despite the years, their lives before joining them was still shrouded in mystery.

"Varian, do you really want to talk about kings right now?" Cassandra asked. "Because you know I have choices words for you on that subject."

Rapunzel felt resentment in her at Cassandra's words. They were obviously designed to keep the three of them out of the loop, which made her just the tiniest bit upset. She had shared with them her past in the tower and her hair after all, why couldn't they extend the same curtsey to them?

She shook her head. Stop it, Rapunzel, she reminded herself. It's their story to share. They'll say when they're ready.

(When they would be ready or if they ever would be was a question she ignored for right now.)

Regardless, Cassandra's words did seem to have an affect on the young boy, because he quickly looked away from them and at his scuffed boots, analysis in his eyes quickly replaced with frustration and a fuming bit to his lip. Cassandra gave him one last look before turning away and back to them, pretending the exchange they just witnessed didn't happen.

"So, next week, huh?" Cassandra said. "Doesn't give us a lot of time to get ready, we should probably start now."

Varian Wry was many things. A thief. A brother. A friend. An alchemist.

A king.

It was his one secret, one he had sworn Cassandra never to tell once he figured it out. Lunara was his home, where he had lived with his father, Quirin – younger brother of the king, Edmund. Years passed, and Edmund produced no heir to the throne and so naturally it was assumed that if Edmund kept on the trajectory the throne would fall to Quirin and then, by matter of succession, Varian after Quirin's death.

Varian hadn't known any of this during the time he lived in Lunara. He had been only six after all when everything went to hell in a hand basket, so his ideas of his family had simply been that Dad wore really bulky clothes sometimes and carried a sword, Mom was never coming back from a place called Heaven, and that Uncle Edmund wore a strange thing called a crown and yelled a lot.

Those were his facts of his early life, and he couldn't change them. He had realized much later from Cassandra that Edmund had been the king and that because Quirin was the heir, that left him now the technical ruler of the waste land that had become Lunara since both of them had been swallowed whole by the rocks that had taken over.

He knew that one day he would have to go back, or at least that was the plan Cassandra was building to. The fifteen-year-old could see it in her eyes, increasingly so as the years passed. This kind of hope and fear when she looked at him, just waiting for the day a leader would emerge from the tricky thief he was.

But that day wasn't coming, so Varian hoped that Cassandra wasn't holding her breath too much. Varian had no interest in being the king of Lunara. He remembered first hand what a king did – lie to their people, refuse evacuations so that families got lost in a war against nature that none of them had wanted, make tragedies that could never be repaired. Lunara had been lost the day Edmund hadn't acknowledged the black rocks, and Cassandra was crazy if she thought he was going to be the one to find it again.

Kings were greedy, manipulative, and terrible people. And he would never be one of them.

Varian leaned against the tree he was sitting under, letting the rays of the disappearing sun hit him as it fell beneath the far away hills. It had been a few hours since Flynn and Lance had broken the news of what their next job would be, and Varian had retreated here immedailty after Flynn had recounted his supposed plan, which had been, as always, brilliant.

Varian could say many things about Flynn and Lance, but one would always be that they had earned the titles World-Class Thieves for a reason.

He had scampered away soon after that to this secluded cliff at the edge of the forest, knowing full well that Cassandra was going to want to talk to him about his comments on kings, but he had managed to slip away faster than she had been able to tell him to wait. He knew that he should have kept his mouth shut on the matter, but it had just slipped out. He didn't trust royalty, especially ones that gave offers that were far too tempting to pass up.

But he had bit his lip and let the others continue on with the planning. Maybe, after all, this King Frederic actually was trying to give them an honest deal, and besides, the way his families eyes had lit up at the news… he wasn't going to be the one to burst that bubble for them, not this time.

Varian, would however, have an extra guard up on this job. He was no fool, after all.

He heard crunching leaves behind him break through the silence that had allowed him to think and a groan went through his head. It seemed that Cassandra had finally found him and was ready to give him that lecture he had skimped out on.

He gave a large huff and didn't bother to turn around as he spoke. "I know I said the wrong thing, Cass. You don't have to give me a lecture."

There was a silent beat where Cassandra didn't say anything, but then came a soft laugh that most definitely was not Cassandra's.

"Lucky for you, I didn't come to give you a lecture," said a sweet voice. Varian shot up and turned around to see that it wasn't Cassandra standing behind him, but Juliet. Varian blinked several times, having not been expecting to see her.

"Hello Varian," she said, arms folded behind her back. She looked at him expectantly for a moment, Varian realizing that she probably wanted him to greet her back.

"Oh, um, hey Juliet," he said. "What are you doing out here?"

"I could ask you the same question, Wry," Juliet said. Varian chuckled once under his breath.

"I asked you first, Benson," Varian shot back. Juliet rolled her eyes and walked closer to him.

"Touché," she said. She reached to adjust one of the sleeves of her shirt. "I was just out for a walk when I happened across you." She raised a brow at him, chocolate eyes sprouting with mischief in a way that made Varian's cheeks redden. "Now I believe it's your turn to tell me what you're doing out here."

Varian shrugged. "Just thinking about some stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

"The kind that's none of your business."

"Oh, well, is that anyway to talk to your new partner?" Juliet asked coyly.

Wait? New partner? What was she talking about?

Catching the confusion on his face, she smiled wider and sat down on the grass below them, patting the seat next to her as a motion for him to come sit. He reluctantly did so, giving her a questioning look the whole way.

"Lady Caine is looking for a new crew," Juliet said, "but I'm assuming you already knew that."

Who didn't know that? Lady Caine was Corona' version of the Baron – infamous and ruthless, she ran Corona's underground basically. She knew about every thief operating in Corona, and every thief knew about her. Rumors had been circulating that Lady Caine's forces were depleted after a heist gone bad a few months ago, and so it was pretty much common knowledge that Caine was on the look-out for new members.

"So?" Varian asked. "In what way does that make us partners?"

Juliet rolled her eyes. "In the 'we both go join her' way."

Varian almost chocked on air at her words.

Him and Juliet? Join Lady Caine? No, that would never happen. He couldn't just abandon his family like that – Rapunzel, Cassandra, Flynn, Lance…. They needed him, and he needed them. They were a well-oiled machine, the worked best as the team they were. Varian knew he would be toast without them.

And joining Caine? With the knowledge of Rapunzel's secret as well as the weight of his own? If Caine were to ever find out about either of those, disaster would be soon to follow, and Varian knew it. Caine wouldn't stop until she had Rapunzel's power for her own and she would use any kind of weight his presumed title had until the very last of Lunara's reputation was ruined, because while the kingdom may be gone it's name could still be heard in some circles.

"Juliet, in what world do you think I'm going to go join Caine?" Varian asked. Juliet rolled her eyes and leaned closer to him, peeking up at him from under her eyelashes. Varian fought to suppress the second blush that was rising, trying his best to ignore that excited part of him that was glad Juliet was here with him.

"Varian, we both know that we both want to be together," Juliet said. "You'll be sixteen next month, and I'll only be a few weeks behind. We both know that if we don't start sticking together now, we're going to end up on the opposite ends of a job sooner or later."

"Wh-who said we wanted to be together?" Varian said, weaker than he would have liked.

"So, you don't want to be my boyfriend?" Juliet asked. "The past year of flirting back and forth? After the kiss? All of that wasn't an indication of wanting to be with me?"

Varian's face was near scarlet at her words. Oh, right, the kiss.

It had been only a month ago. Varian had found her outside the Snugly Duckling, upset from a job gone wrong, tears on her face. He had only been trying to comfort her when suddenly her lips were on his for a few seconds that had felt like an eternity. It had only been a brief one, he was barely even sure at first that their lips had even grazed each other's. Juliet hadn't brought it up ever again, and he was too scared to, so the next day they had returned to awkward flirting and flustered smiles.

"Well, uh –"

"Exactly," Juliet said. "We're still young enough that we can be partners without having back out of deals. Soon, we won't have that luxury."

"But my family –"

"Last I checked, they aren't enemies of Caine," Juliet said. "You could still free-lance with them, at least for a while." She took one hand of his in her own, a soft, pleading smile on her face.

He looked deep in her eyes and he could see the genuine look in them. She was being serious – this wasn't some kind of trick. This was a real offer she was presenting him, one he could tell she was really wanting him to take.

But his family – he, he couldn't just up and leave them like that. Not for Caine, not when they were on the edge of finally getting out. Regardless of if he had faith in this King Frederic, he couldn't deny that a score that big (be it the crown or the offer from the king) would be more than enough for all five of them to begin again.

He couldn't just up and leave, not when they were tittering so close to leaving the world of crime behind. This was a big moment for all of them, and he couldn't leave them. Not for someone like Lady Caine.

But for Juliet…

Sensing his conflict, she sighed and reached up, giving him a gentle kiss on the cheek. Lips still hovering over his freckled skin, he felt her almost smile.

"Just think about it, okay?" Juliet asked. Varian gulped and turned his face to look directly at her, and he felt a pit in his stomach. He couldn't tell her what she wanted, that he would be her new partner, no matter how much a little part of him was screaming to take her up on it.

"I will," he eventually said. Juliet smiled sadly, and Varian could tell she knew what he did – that he would never consider her offer. She let go of his hand and stood up, the hem of her too big pants swishing against the grass and barely held up by her very tight built.

"I'll see you around, Wry," Juliet said. Then she turned on her heel and left, disappearing into the forest with only the sounds of crinkling leaves and twigs calling out her. Later, Varian would wish he had something in response, because it would be then he realized that 'I'll see you around, Wry' really meant that she loved him.

But later wasn't that moment, so he just watched her go.

"He really offered us 200 pieces of gold?" Rapunzel asked for what she sure for the hundredth time from the look on Eugene's face.

"Yes, Blondie, and a pardon too, in case you want to ask about that again," Eugene said, squeezing her hand gently. Rapunzel rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's annoyance and pulled him forward, the soft crackle of the fallen leaves and branches beneath her feet. The moon shone down on them, the pale light hitting Eugene's hair in a way that made Rapunzel just want to smile.

Eugene had asked her to go on a walk, and Rapunzel – never one to turn down alone time with Eugene – had jumped at the offer. She was sure that he was regretting the decision, considering the fact that she had pretty much only been asking about their newest job over and over again.

Not that he could really blame her – Rapunzel was over the moon about this newest opportunity, ready to see it as a way out. Rapunzel was pretty sure that he did too, he seemed to be a better mood, his shoulder lifted higher than they had been in weeks, as if an invisible burden was being lifted off of him. It was a bit premature, yes, but it was so rare they got hope that Rapunzel was ready to let her and Eugene savor it while they did.

"Imagine what we could do with that!" Rapunzel said. "We could start over! All of us! Imagine it with me Eugene!"

Her step almost became a skip as she kept walking forward, eyes lighting up with imagination.

"We could get a farm – me, you, Lance, and Cass could manage it during the week," Rapunzel said. "Varian could go to school and help us on weekends – if he doesn't have – what do you call it? – homework!" Her voice was raising as she went on, but she didn't care. This part of the forest was usually empty this part of the night anyway. "We could grow carrots and lettuce and maybe raise some animals or something or –"

Eugene cut her off with a chuckle. "Seems like you've really thought this through, Blondie."

Rapunzel smiled sheepishly, and Eugene gave a second, more endearing laugh.

"Don't worry about it, Blondie," Eugene said. "I'd be lying if I said we all hadn't been thinking about."

Rapunzel knew that was the truth. Everyone had been a little extra excited after the revelation of the job. Cassandra had spoken wistfully about maybe getting a real job, Lance had been jumping up and down at the possibility of getting new shoes, just about the only one of them that seemed down was Varian, who had returned to their small camp (which was more like the five of them around a fire in a general area than camp) with a frown, something that he hadn't lost since his return. Rapunzel was sure he would perk up soon, he was probably just nervous.

Rapunzel smiled. "And what have you been thinking about doing after the job, Eugene?"

Eugene looked at her nervously. "Me and you getting married."

What?

Her brain stopped completely. Eugene wanted to get married? Since when? They had never talked about getting married. They had been together for over two years, granted, but don't most couples talk about this kind of stuff? Right?

"I mean, on-only if you – if you want to, Blondie," Eugene said, deflated from her moment of silence. Rapunzel shook her head and reached to caress his cheek.

"No-no, Eugene, you just caught me off guard, that's all," Rapunzel assured him. The hurt in his eyes subtracted a little, but she could still see it.

"So?" Eugene asked. "Do you want to get married?"

Rapunzel was unsure how to answer. Did she? She loved Eugene more than any person on this Earth and every vision of the future conjured in her head had him there beside her. Lives where they were thieves, ones where they went straight, others where they were somewhere in between danced in her head, and every time one floated to prominence, while the others might have to leave, his presence was the one she couldn't live without.

She didn't want him to stay with her – she needed him too. He was the one thing she couldn't live without.

She needed to marry him.

"Yes," she said softly.

"What?" There was disbelief in his reply.

Joyful tears sprang in her eyes and she wrapped him in a strong embrace, burying her face in his neck.

"Yes, I want to marry you," Rapunzel said. She felt him take in a breath, but then she too was engulfed in strong arms. She felt like she could stay in his arms forever, wrapped deep in an embrace here in the woods as the moon shone over them. Life could never top this moment, she was sure of it.

The embrace however was broken much sooner than she would have liked, Eugene letting go of her with wide eyes. Rapunzel looked up at him, parting her lips in confusion.

"Hold on," he said, "I have to do this the right way."

Rapunzel nearly laughed as he fell to one knee, considering it redundant at this point considering that she already said yes. He scampered through his satchel for one second before producing a thin line of spool. He smiled up at her and took her left hand, beginning to tie a ribbon around her left pointer finger.

"Rapunzel Gothel, will you do me the honor of allowing me to marry you?"

The look on his face was over-the-top and cheery to the umpteenth degree, not helped by the almost magical way the moon was cutting across his features. But Rapunzel didn't care about any of this, far too happy to care about anything but the future ahead of them.

Tears still streaming she answered. "Yes."

The knot done, he rose to standing and pulled her into a kiss, one she quickly returned with as much passion as she could muster. In that one moment in the forest, everything was perfect for Rapunzel.

But then that moment ended.

I swear this fic is not dead, I promise, I've just had a lot to do lately.

Also, I had no intention of my OC Juliet popping up when I first started writing this fic, I was going to include her as a cameo but then the scene in the forest happened... Will we see more of her? Time will tell... This is an AU of her as well, were she's an orphan thief and not the quirky island girl she is originally.

And New Dream got engaged! YAY!

(And Varina's royalty? WHHHAATT? Me, write a story where Varian is royalty? That's new for me! *sarcasm has been activated in case you can't tell*)

Review Replies: I hope the New Dream portions lived up to your expectations! I was going to have them realizing their feelings in this potion but I realized that would just been unrealistic, because Eugene is not shy with his feelings. I love AUs, they're so much fun! I am game for all kinds of AUs, as long as they allow for the writers/creators to explore different ways a character could be in a different scenario.

Thanks for reading and y'all have a blessed day!
- Princess Chess